Songwriter Jason Wade and his band Lifehouse have had the
unusual good fortune of producing one of the biggest radio
hits of the year 2000 (“Hanging by a Moment”) and one
of the biggest radio hits of the year 2005 (“You and Me”).
How did they do it? Chalk it up to a combination of hooky
guitar-rock, arena-sized choruses, and sensitive- sounding
lyrics about love and relationships and all that happy crap.
(Them guys are rill purty, too.) So, even though Lifehouse
might have aspirations to be the next, say, Pearl Jam, it
seems they’ll have to settle for being the new Goo Goo Dolls,
which ain’t too bad, we guess. If you want to catch
their show this weekend, you had better make fast friends
with a Siena student: This one’s only for students and registered
guests. (April 22, 8 PM, $10 Siena students, $20 registered
guests of students, 515 Loudon Road, Loudonville, 783-2328)

Chanticleer

Troy
Savings Bank Music Hall, Sunday

It’s a close call, but we decided that the music of Chanticleer
is too wide-ranging to call classical. For the last quarter-century,
the Bay Area-based, all-male, a capella vocal choir have been
performing stellar music from numerous genres, from madrigals
to jazz standards. Under the direction of Joseph Jennings,
the program they’re bringing to the Troy Music Hall this Sunday
is EarthSongs. This is Chanticleer’s Earth Day tribute, which
will feature choral music by the likes of Saint-Saëns and
Monteverdi alongside Chinese, Scottish, Japanese and American
folk music. (We told you they were eclectic.) See if these
12 singers don’t live up to their nickname, “an orchestra
of voices.” (April 23, 7 PM, $29, $32, 2nd and State streets,
Troy, 273-0038)

Robin
and Linda Williams and Their Fine Group

Caffe
Lena, Sunday

No, not that Robin Williams. The folk-bluegrass-country
couple Robin and Linda Williams are touring with Their Fine
Group consisting of a bassist and mandolinist whom they’ve
worked with closely over the years. Since their first record
in 1975 they’ve created 18 more, achieved status on the Americana
charts and dabbled in other types of music, such as roots
and gospel. Garrison Keillor from National Public Radio has
acted as a band member as well as a producer for the band,
so it should be no surprise that the Williams are regulars
on his popular show A Prairie Home Companion. They
will even be featured in the upcoming movie of the same name.
According to Keillor, “their voices can melt cheese.” Whether
that is a good thing remains to be seen. (April 23, 7 PM,
$18, 47 Phila St., Saratoga Springs, 583-0022)

Cryptopsy

Saratoga
Winners, Tuesday

In 2003, death-metal fans rejoiced at the return of their
vile messiah: Lord Worm. Yes, Mr. Worm had taken a bit of
a vacation from Montreal’s brutal purveyors of extreme death
metal to do whatever it is Lords of Worms do on vacation (perhaps
wiggle through piles of dead things). Meanwhile, as the metal
underground began to blow up, Cryptopsy amassed quite a devout
following who longed to hear Mr. Worm spew his savage bile.
Cryptopsy are to death metal what the Dillinger Escape Plan
are to hardcore and what Rush were to prog. In fact, Cryptopsy’s
drummer Flo Mounier is exalted in drum circles in the same
way as fellow Canadian (and Rush drummer) Neil Peart. Now
with Worm returned to the fold, and the band touring behind
their new album Once Was Not (an album that was five
years in the making), Cryptopsy seem poised to claim their
seat atop death metal’s pile of vile corpses. (April 25,
7:30 PM, $14, 1375 New Loudon Road, Latham, 783-1010)

solas

Solas

The
Egg, Friday

Already one of the world’s most popular and revered Irish-
traditional groups, Solas have gone against the grain with
their latest record. With The Edge of Silence, the
group (led by multi-instrumentalist Seamus Egan) tackle American
and British music with a unique Celtic twist. Songs by Bob
Dylan, Nick Drake, and Tom Waits are given the once-over,
making them fit seamlessly with the group’s original compositions.
Solas are determined to take Irish music to the masses (although
we’d argue that’s already been done), and they’ll do it one
city at a time if need be. Their quest brings them to the
Egg stage this Friday night. (April 21, 8 PM, $24, Empire
State Plaza, Albany, 473-1845)

Clit
45

Valentine’s,
Tuesday

First there was REO Speed- dealer, the Dandy Warhols, and
the Brian Jonestown Massacre. Lately, we’ve noticed that this
goofy trend has gotten out of hand: Artimus Pyledriver? The
Gena Rowlands Band? And now, Clit 45? It’s just not clever
anymore. (Although we did get a kick out of the “Def Leotard”
sticker we saw this morning.) Anyway, the decidedly un-tongue-in-cheek
Clit 45 are a West Coast hardcore-punk outfit, whose most
recent album of new material (Self-Hate Crimes, BYO)
echoes the snotty sound of their admitted heroes (Adolescents,
Descendents, etc.) without being entirely beholden—which is
saying something, more than we can say for the band’s name,
at least. Sharing this Tuesday night bill are Career Soldiers,
the Designer Drugs, and Victims of Hunger. (April 22, 9
PM, $5, 17 New Scotland Ave., Albany, 432-6572)

Also
Noted

frog
holler

The
Zen Tricksters and Revision serve
up the jam tonight (Thursday) at Red Square (9
PM, $10, 432-8584). . . . Islands, a new
band featuring members of last spring’s buzz band
the Unicorns, play the Iron Horse Music Hall in
Northampton, Mass. tomorrow (Friday); Why?
And Cadence Weapon open (10 PM, $14, 413-584-0610).
. . . It’s another all-out, up-and-down heavy-fest
at Valentine’s Friday night, with Murphy’s
Law, Ducky Boys, Murderer’s Row,
Empire State Troopers, and several others
(7 PM, $10, 432-6572). . . . Reading, Penn.-based
Americana group Frog Holler return to the
Ale House on Saturday (9 PM, $5, 272-9740). .
. . Bass in your face: The Tony Levin Band
return to the Van Dyck on Saturday (7 and 9:30
PM, $20, 381-1111). . . . You can be in the right
place at the right time when Dr. John and
his band perform at the Iron Horse this Saturday
(7 and 10 PM, $45, 413-584-0610). . . . American
4-tracker and indie-songwriter extraordinaire
John Vanderslice will play songs from his
excellent Pixel Revolt disc (some co-written
by the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle) this Tuesday
at Bennington College’s Downstairs Cafe in Bennington,
Vt.; Wooden Wand and the Vanishing Voice
are also on that bill (10 PM, $5, 802-442-5401);
Vanderslice will be at Northampton’s Iron Horse
on Wednesday, along with Page France (10
PM, $11, 413-584-0610).